Double and swingle tree.



Patented August 11, 1903 PATENT OFFICE. V

ALBERT 0. JAMES, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS.

DOUBLE AND S WINGLE TREE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters ZPatent No. 735,982, dated August 11, 1903.

Application filed June 30, 1902. Serial No. 113,696. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT 0. JAMES, a citizenof the United States, residing at T0- peka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Double and Swingle Trees, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to double and swingle trees wherein a spring or springs are used to overcome the shock given a team through coming in contact against a solid or jolting load.

The object of my improvement is to overcome this shock by the use of the double and swingle trees devised as shown,the same being accomplished by the devices herewith set forth, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figurel is a plan view. Fig. 2 is a detail of the doubletree, giving a rear view thereof; and Fig. 3 is a detail of the swingletree, giving a rear view of the same.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the various views.

In my device, A indicates the doubletree, to which the elliptical spring B is suitably attached. The holdback-links O are suitably connected with the ends of said spring by a bolt, which also attaches thereto the clevises XX to the'said spring, said clevises in turn passing through the guard-stirrups D of the doubletree A, as shown. The swingletrees E are attached to the clevises X inthe usual manner On the back of the swingletrees E are the semi-elliptical spring F, which end in the goosenecks L, as shown. On each end of the swingletrees are the metal-loop trace-holding guides H, through which the traces G pass. Said traces G, hooking over the goosenecks L of the swingletree springs F, form a take-up device that holds in tension the variable slack of the said traces.

As will be seen, a teamhitched to a wagon or other vehicle with double and swingle trees as illustrated herewith would necessarily be relieved of any shock caused by the wheels of the said vehicle coming in contact with any prominent obstacle in the road. again, by aid of the devices herewith illustrated and described a team can be held in taut harness in so far as the traces are concerned, this being more especially true when we take into consideration the semi-elliptical springs on the doubletree and swingletrees. I do not wish to limit myself in .my device to doubletrees alone, or, in other words, to the use of a team of horses, forthe same devices applied to a single rig would be fully as valuable, considering the lightness of the vehicle, as the greater complication is to a two-horse rig.

Then,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In the device set forth, the combination of a doubletree, a semi-elliptical spring secured to the rear face thereof, the ends of the said spring being curved upon themselves, clevises, upwardly-projecting bolts secured to the said clevises, adapted to receive the curved ends of the said spring, guard-stirrups secured to the upper face of the said doubletree through which the said clevises operate, the inner ends of the said clevises secured to swingletrees, springs secured to the rear faces of the said swingletrees and extending the entire length thereof, the said springs tapering toward their free ends and provided with depressed portions adapted to receive the traces, and guides mounted on the ends of the said swingletrees, through which the said traces operate, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT c. JAMEs. \Vitnesses:

E. ROOF, 0. SMITH. 

